Arkansas GOP wins governor's post, eyes sweepArkansas Republicans claimed the governor's office as they hoped for a complete sweep in Tuesday's election, believing that voter dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama would undermine Democratic candidates. ___ TOP OF THE STATE TICKET Republican Asa Hutchinson was elected Arkansas governor, defeating Democrat and fellow ex-congressman Mike Ross in a race where the two had sparred primarily over competing plans to cut taxes. The 63-year-o...

GOP Rep. Tom Cotton elected to US SenateRepublican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton defeated two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor on Tuesday in Arkansas, in an expensive and heated race that the GOP viewed as crucial to its efforts to win the Senate. Cotton, 37, was elected to a six-year term in the Senate after a 15-month campaign in which the two rivals and outside groups had spent more than $56 million and had blanketed Arkansas airwaves with a barrage of television ads. Pryor, 51, was first ...

GOP's Steve Womack wins 3rd term in US HouseRepublican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack has been elected to his third term representing northwest Arkansas in the U.S. House. Womack faced no Democratic opposition in Tuesday's election. He defeated Libertarian Grant Brand, who did not raise any money in his campaign. Womack sits on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. He says he hopes to use his third term to focus on reforms to the country's tax, regulatory and energies policies. The congressm...

State Rep. Andrea Lea of Russellville wins state auditor race LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Republican state Rep. Andrea Lea has been elected Arkansas' new state auditor. Lea defeated Democrat Regina Stewart Hampton and Libertarian Brian Leach in Tuesday's contest. She takes over for Democrat Charlie Daniels, who didn't seek re-election. Lea has served in the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2008, representing the Russellville and Pottsville areas. Previously, she had served as a justice of the peace in Pope...

What voters had to say during election A collection of voter voices during Tuesday's general election in Arkansas: In Fayetteville, Allyn Fuel, 29, a biology graduate student at the University of Arkansas, arrived at the Mount Comfort Church of Christ in Fayetteville to vole Tuesday morning with her choices written in pen as "Yes" or "No" on her left hand. Fuell said she is a registered Democrat who votes "Green when I can." Fuel said she voted for Mike Ross for governor, for raisi...

Pryor, Cotton wrap up drawn out Senate campaign LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Two-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor and freshman Republican Rep. Tom Cotton reach the finish line Tuesday in a campaign that started in the middle of 2013, with control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance. Candidates and special interest groups spent millions of dollars on the race, hoping to influence voters by inundating them with advertising linking Pryor to an unpopular president and criticizing Cotton fo...

Police: Man arrested in burned body case HOPE (AP) — Hope police have arrested a man who they say killed a man and set his home on fire. The 25-year-old man faces charges of first-degree murder and arson in the death of 20-year-old Thomas Youngblood on Oct. 28. Firefighters found Youngblood's body after extinguishing flames at the home. Police say the body showed signs of trauma but haven't said how they believe he died. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

Body found near national forest WALDRON (AP) — Arkansas authorities are working to identify a body found near the Ouachita National Forest. The Scott County Sheriff's Office says a U.S. Forest Service worker found the remains of an adult man in a heavily wooded area south of Waldron on Monday. The body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine the man's identity and cause of death.

Arkansas sees revenue rise in October LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas finance officials say the state's revenue rose in October and is above year-to-date expectations. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said Tuesday that net available revenue in October totaled $402.8 million. That's $30.0 million more than last year and $18.2 million above the state's forecast. The report said sales tax collections accounted for $7.7 million of the gain for the month and corporate ...

Man sentenced to 40 years for child porn HARRISBURG (AP) — A northeast Arkansas man charged with 150 counts of child pornography crimes has pleaded guilty to four of the counts in a deal with prosecutors. The Jonesboro Sun reported Jason McDonald, 38, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Monday after taking the deal. Jonesboro police arrested him in September 2013 for possessing and distributing the material. Police found more than 200 videos and pictures, a pistol, a shotgun and m...

Statewide recycling slogan, report to be released NORTH LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The state's new recycling slogan and logo are scheduled to be announced during a celebration to mark America Recycles Day. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will announce the winner of the slogan contest and unveil the coordinating logo during the Nov. 14 event at the agency's headquarters in North Little Rock. America Recycles Day is Nov. 15. In addition to the announcements, ADEQ will also release the ...

Child, 10, suspected of making school bomb threatOZARK, Ark. (AP) - Police in Ozark say a 10-year-old is suspected of making a bomb threat at Ozark Upper Elementary School. Ozark Police Chief Cory Tedford told the Times Record (http://bit.ly/1wqxI2u ) that the child is believed to have made a written bomb threat and that police are seeking charges of communicating a false alarm. Tedford said the case will be presented to juvenile authorities. Details of the threat were not released. The thre...

Texarkana man killed in single-vehicle crashTEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas State Police say a Texarkana, Arkansas, man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on State Line Avenue on the Arkansas side of the city. A report on the collision says 71-year-old Max Carter died at a Texarkana hospital following the crash on Sunday. The report says Carter's vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into two trees, then rolled.

Trials for 2 northwest Arkansas killings resetFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - The trials for two people accused of capital murder in northwest Arkansas have been reset until early next year. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1wX8H0q ) the trial for Juan Pablo Perez-Lopez, accused in the stabbing death of a Springdale auto mechanic last February, was initially set for Monday. His case, now reset to Jan. 26, was delayed because a second mental exam to determine if he's fit to s...

Rainy Election Day in forecast for ArkansasLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Heavy rain is in the forecast for most of Arkansas on Election Day. The National Weather Service says a slow-moving cold front will cross the state on Tuesday, dumping 1 to 2 inches of rain on most areas of Arkansas. Some areas could see close to 3 inches of rain locally. Forecasters say the heavy rain shouldn't pose a major flooding risk because the ground remains dry in most areas. The front is expected to move out o...

Judge delays trial in Garland County slayingHOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - A judge has delayed the trial of an Arkansas man charged in the killing of a Hot Springs Village police dispatcher. Kevin Duck was set to go to trial this week in the 2011 death of his girlfriend, Dawna Natzke. But the case has been pushed back until Feb. 10 at the request of defense attorneys, who said they needed more time to review documents received in the discovery process. Duck has pleaded not guilty in the death...

Candidates cross Arkansas for final-day pitchNORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Candidates in Arkansas' heated races for governor and the U.S. Senate are criss-crossing the state as they make their closing arguments to voters on the eve of the midterm election. Republican Senate hopeful Rep. Tom Cotton, gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson and other GOP nominees rallied supporters Monday at Burns Park in North Little Rock. They sought help with get-out-the-vote efforts for Tuesday's electi...

Park rangers offering reward in deer poaching caseHOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - The National Park Service says it's offering a $500 reward for information leading to the conviction of anyone responsible for a deer poaching incident on West Mountain last week. Hot Springs National Park rangers say the deer was severely injured by a bolt from a crossbow and had to be put down. Rangers say the poaching happened sometime Thursday or Friday. The deer had been shot near a hiking trail near a parking are...

City recommends more warning signs at LR ZooLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Officials are recommending that more warning signs be placed throughout the Little Rock Zoo after a 3-year-old boy fell into the jaguar exhibit and was seriously injured. The city of Little Rock released its investigative report Monday into last month's incident. The review says that proper emergency procedures were followed in the case and that the jaguar exhibit complies with regulations. Zoo employees used fire exti...